Safety-stirrup



(N0 Modl.)

J. W. THORN. SAFETY .STIRRUP.

Patented June 28, 1898 nirrnn States JOHN w. rnonn, or MEOHANIGSBURG, VIRGINIA,

SAFETY -STIRRU P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,368, dated June 28, 1898.

Application filed July 3, 1897. Serial No. 643,369. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern/.-

My invention relates to stirrups for sad dles, and more particularly to that class of stirrups that provide for releasing the riders foot in the event of his becoming dehorsed, and has for its object primarily to provide a foot-piece that will normally remain in position to receive the foot, but which will act to release the foot from the stirrup and will then automatically return to its normal position.

Certain other improvements are also embodied in my construction, as will be hereinafter more definitely pointed out and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-:-

Figure 1 is atop plan View of my improved stirrup; Fig. 2, a bottom plan View of the same 5 Fig. 3, a perspective View, and Fig. '4: a central vertical longitudinal section.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 denotes the yoke of the stirrup, the same having its vertical arms bifurcated at 2 and united at their lower ends by the cross-bars 3 and i, the same forming a support for the foot-piece 5. This foot-piece is pivotally attached to the rear cross-bar 3 by clips 6 of anysuitable construction, through which said cross bar passes, and said foot -piece is recessed on its under side at 10 to provide room for a coiled spring 77, mounted on the crossbar 3 and having one free end 8 bearing against the under side of the foot-piece to the rear of said cross-bar and its other free end 9 bearing against the front cross-bar 4,. It will thus be seen that the tension of said spring will be exerted to press the toe of the foot-piece 5 down upon the cross-bar 4:.

By referring to Figs. 3 and at it will be observed that the front arms of the bifurcated yoke are somewhat shorter than are the rear arms thereof, thus'providing for slightly elevating the toe of the foot-piece 5 and giving a natural and graceful inclination to the foot of the ridcn In order to prevent the stirrup from turm ing in too much at the toe, caused by the twist given thereto by the stirrup-leather11, I have formed the upper horizontal portion of the yoke 1 at an angle to the foot-piece 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, in which is shown a stirrup for the right foot. This angular formation to the yoke where it engages with the stirrup-leather 11 counteracts to seine extent the twist given to the stirrup by the stirrup-leather, and thus provides for only a partial turning in of the stirrup-toe into a positionmost desirable for the insertion of the foot when mounting. It will be understood that for a stirrup for the left foot the angular formation given to the yoke 5 must be reversed.

From the above description it will be seen that the foot-piece is supported at two points by the cross-bars 3 and 4 and that a little pressure on the heel of said foot-piece will overcome the tension of the spring 7 and cause said foot-piece to rock on the rear crossbar 3 as a pivot and dislodge the foot from the stirrup, said foot-piece returning to its normal position when said pressure is removed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A stirrup, consisting of a yoke, a rearwardly-tilting foot-piece, and a spring enga ing between said yoke and foot-piece and adapted to return said foot-piece to its substantially horizontal position with relation to the yoke when displaced therefrom, substantiallyas set forth.

2. A stirrup, consisting of a supportingyoke bifurcated at its lower ends, cross-bars connecting said bifurcated ends, afoot-piece supported by said cross-bars and pivotally shorter than the rear arms thereof, cross-bars my hand in the presence of two subscribing connecting said bifurcated ends, and a pivwitnesses. oted foot-piece supported by said cross-bars, 7 1 A the construction being such that the forward JOHN q O end of said foot-piece is raised slightly above lVitnesses: its rear end, substantially as set forth. 1 E. O. BERNARD,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I A. F. UPDYKE. 

